Froth flotation of sulfide ores with phenyl-imido-amyl-dithiocarbonate



Patented May 10, 1949 FROTH FLOTATION OF SULFIDE ORES WITH PH CARBONATE ENYL-IIHIDO-AMYL-DITHIO- Roberto Carvajal and Juan Jos Quiroga, Sewell,

Chile, assignors to Kcnnecott Copper Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York No Drawing.

Application December 4, 1946, Se-

rial No. 713,910. In Chile February 19, 1946 2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to the concentration of ores and has for an object the provision of certain improvements in concentration operations. More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of certain improvements in flotation concentration operations. A further object of the invention is to provide certain improvements in flotation methods or processes.

The invention is based on our discovery that compounds having the following general structural formula are highly effective flotation reagents which may be employed advantageouslyas mineral collecting agents in conjunction with frothing agents and conditioning agents in froth flotation operations:

sn' 04m.

in which R represents an amyl radical, R" represents a phenyl radical and M represents hydrogen, a metal such, for example, as an alkali metal or an ammonium radical.

In one of its phases, the invention is based on our discovery that products resulting from reactions between a trithiocarbonate and an amine are effective mineral collecting agents when em-' means of a double bond between the nitrogen and the carbon of the original trithiocarbonate.

In a preferred process of the invention, the reagent employed is a product resulting from a reaction between an alkali metal amyl trithiocarbonate, such, for example, as sodium amyl trithiocarbonate and aniline hydrochloride.

In practicing a method or process of the invention, a neutral, acid or alkaline circuit may be employed. We prefer to employ an acid circuit in the treatment of copper sulphide ores.

The flotation reagents or compounds may be employed advantageously in froth flotation operations designed for the concentration of both non-metallic minerals and metallic minerals and in froth flotation operations designed for the concentration of both oxidized ores and sulphide designed for the concentration of copper sulphide ores and other sulphide ores.

The following example illustrates the method of producing a compound or reaction product for use as a flotation reagent in carrying out a process of our invention and it demonstrates the advantages of the reagents and processes of the invention.

In producing a reaction product for use in carrying outa flotation process of our invention, we have employed the following'procedure:

Aqueous solutions of molecular quantitiesof sodium amyl trithiocarbonate and aniline hydrochloride were mixed and allowed to react. During the reaction, hydrogen sulphide was given off and sodium chloride was formed as a byproduct. The principal product was a black oily liquid of greater density than water, and it was separated by decantation. After several hours, crystals were formed. The reaction appears to take place according to the following equation:

The product of the above-described reaction was employed as the collecting agent in a flotation treatment of copper sulphide ore from the Teniente mine of the Braden Copper Company. The ore contained 2.23 percent total copper and 0.25 percent oxide copper. It was wet ground with the collecting agent which was added at the rate of '72 grams per metric ton of ore. The grinding was carried out with an aqueous pulp containing 67 percent solids, and the product was ground to percent minus 200-mesh (Tyler series). The pulp was transferred to a flotation cell and diluted to 18 percent solids. Sulphuric acid was added at the rate of 2.27 kilograms per metric ton of ore, and cresylic acid was added at the rate of 181 grams per metric ton of ore. The pulp was conditioned for one minute, and, thereafter, froth was removed for eleven minutes.

The concentrate obtained contained 25.42 percent copper, and 89.25 per cent of the copper contained in the ore was recovered in the concentrate.

We claim:

1. The method of concentrating a metal sulphide ore which comprises subjectingthe ore in the form of a pulp to a froth flotation operation in the presence of a compound having the followin which R represent an amyl radical. R" repreing structural formula:

cents a phenyl radical and M represents hydro- I gen. a metal or an ammonium radical. cmw ROBER'IO CARVAJAL.

. M i 6 JUAN Joell: QUIROGA. in which R represents an amyl radical, R repre- REFERENCES CITED zigf fifgi g fgg' ggg g .2323 hydro' The following references are of record in the 2. The method of concentrating a copper sul- 10 me of this patent: 1 phide ore which comprises subjecting the ore in UNITED STATES PATENTS; the form of a pulp to a froth flotation operation in the presence of a compound having the followaggi 3 tructural formula: a 111g 8 15 1,847,684 Nye Mar. 1, 1932 SR 0 3m! 

